Call for states to allow euthanasia choice

Politicians must put aside their squeamishness about death and catch up to public sentiment by legislating for voluntary euthanasia, a group of health policy experts says.

A new report from think tank Australia21 urges state governments to develop legislation that allows voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide in clearly defined and limited circumstances.

The group also wants federal parliament to overturn a 1997 ban on the territories legislating in this area.

Fraser government health minister Peter Baume says the legal system surrounding death is incoherent and unequal.

"The sad thing is that some people have to have a really bad personal experience with someone they love before they realise just how bad the laws are," he told reporters in Canberra on Friday.

Marshall Perron, the former NT chief minister who passed the voluntary euthanasia laws overturned by the federal parliament in 1997, said most of the terminally ill people who wanted to die hanged themselves, while many others shot or poisoned themselves.

"What's happening out there in the suburbs of Australia is appalling," he said.

"Everyone knows how to kill themselves ... but the problem is it's very messy."

Mr Perron noted 80 per cent of the Australian community was in favour of voluntary euthanasia.

The Australia21 report doesn't go as far as designing a regime - it offers international examples and evidence for politicians to examine.

One of the most surprising findings was that more people would change their vote to support the introduction of voluntary euthanasia than would change their vote to oppose it.

However, there's expected to be strong opposition to Australia21's call for action, particularly from religious groups.

"The hierarchy of the churches, in opposing legislation, are not representing their flock," Mr Perron said.

The report shows almost 80 per cent of Catholics surveyed supported voluntary euthanasia, while support was even higher among Anglicans.

Greens health spokesman Richard Di Natale said he had constitutional advice suggesting the commonwealth could legislate for voluntary euthanasia.

He also welcomed any moves to help politicians get over the taboo of talking about death.

"No one wants to talk about what it means to die and what a good death is," he said.

"It's an open discussion that needs to be had."

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